The Invisible Man
by brokenbottleaurora
Summary: Neville Longbottom had a tendency to play the background character in his own life. How many times will it take before he takes a step into the spotlight?


The Invisible Man

* * *

Neville learned to hate the number five. He'd never thought much about it until he got to Hogwarts, but the first few months in his dorm certainly made an impression. Five, being an odd number, never split evenly into pairs for potion brewing, or charms class, or walking side by side. Harry and Ron met on the train, and Seamus and Dean sat next to each other at the opening feast. Neville sat with Hermione and some soon-to-be Hufflepuffs on the Express and had then been stuck on the end of the Gryffindor table next to Percy Weasley. And that's just how his first several months at Hogwarts went - Harry and Ron, Dean and Seamus, and Neville was left hanging, forced to find somewhere else to fit in at. When Hermione joined Harry and Ron, it made things even worse.

By the end of First Year, Neville had accepted his fate and settled into his invisibility. _Life in the background wasn't so bad_ , he tried to tell himself, _especially in a house like Gryffindor_. Look what happened the one time he tried to stand up and make a name for himself - Hermione Granger stunned him, and the Golden Trio went on their merry way anyway. His invisibility was his shield against rejection, against judgment, against failure. Life was easier when no one was watching.

* * *

As he got older, Neville realized he didn't really have to leave behind his invisibility to be brave. He stood up to some Hufflepuffs wearing 'Potter Stinks' badges; he even subtly hexed an Inquisitorial Squad member once. But in places like DA meetings or the classroom, when he was surrounded by so many braver, smarter, more talented witches and wizards, Neville was content to fade into the background.

The first time Neville really found his mettle tested was the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Going with Harry had been a no brainer; he knew that Harry wouldn't lead him into a fight without a damn good reason. But the aftermath was uncomfortable for Neville. Sure, he gained his grandmother's respect and got a new wand out of it. But, for months after that, people watched him far too closely for his own comfort and were mildly curious about this unknown entity. Invisibility was safe; so that was… nerve-wracking.

Thankfully, Neville's invisibility kept him sheltered from the limelight glaring off the Golden Trio. By the time Sixth Year rolled around, no one outside of the DA even remembered that he'd been involved in the Department of Mysteries disaster. Neville allowed himself a mental wipe of the brow at his close escape.

* * *

Hogwarts under Death Eater occupation was Neville's next real test. His sense of justice, his need to protect his friends and innocents, was too strong for him to let their torture go unopposed. And so Neville found himself, almost unwittingly, at the head of a rebellion. But even in leading his fellow students against their Dark professors, he found himself working in the background. He smuggled students out, he snuck food down to those held captive in the dungeons, he organized pranks against the Death Eaters, he taught the younger students how to defend themselves. It didn't feel like much, but to have stood directly against one of Voldemort's henchmen would have meant certain death. So, Neville drew on his long-honed skill of working in the periphery to fight against them as best he could.

* * *

As much as he hated fighting, Neville found that he was truly in his element during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Curses were flying left, right, and center, so it was dangerous to move, and especially duel, out in the open. The DA used their coins to communicate about where the fighting was heaviest, and Neville used his knowledge of secret passageways, hidden corners, and enchanted staircases to move from skirmish to skirmish. No one else had time to focus on what he was doing, which gave Neville the confidence and nerve to fight like a man possessed.

When Voldemort called for the ceasefire, Neville didn't think twice; he immediately began looking for the injured and the dead. When that was done, he began re-laying traps for the Death Eaters. He was aware that, if he stopped moving, someone might stop and talk to him. There was still a battle to be won, and he couldn't afford to lose the poise he felt behind that invisible shield. In fact, the only person that spoke to him as he moved about the castle was Harry. Something about a snake...

* * *

Neville wasn't sure how he did it. Standing there in front of Voldemort himself, limping across the courtyard, and speaking from his heart at the top of his lungs. He'd never stood in front of this many people and spoken so much as a word before. But here he stood, essentially mouthing off to the most powerful dark wizard in generations, hobbling carefully toward his goal - the snake. Harry had said kill the snake.

This was it. Neville gathered the last dregs of his courage, pulled out the gleaming sword of Gryffindor, and sliced quickly through air and flesh.

Time stood still, holding its breath as the snake's head fell to the earth. There was a wet smack of bloody scale against concrete, and the spell was broken. Voldemort screamed, Harry seemingly leapt back to life, and the battle began to rage around him once again.

But in that century-long moment, Neville Longbottom wasn't invisible. Every eye was on him as he'd stood against evil incarnate and slayed the metaphorical dragon. He'd been placed at center stage and come out of the pressure a diamond. He'd laughed in the face of fear and _made_ the world take notice.

When the battle was over, Neville Longbottom was no longer a background character in his own story. His shield of invisibility had been shattered, and he was no longer just another face in the crowd. But battle and war had changed him irrevocably. Gone was the boy content to remain invisible and move in the shadows. Instead, Neville was a man who could stand in the spotlight and no longer be afraid. Turns out, the number five wasn't so bad after all. For him, fifth time's the charm.

* * *

 **Written for QLFC, Season 6, Round 12**

Team: Wigtown Wanderers

Position: Seeker

Prompt: Demiguise: Write about someone who is treated like they're "invisible" or don't belong.

Words: 1043

Updated 10/27/18 at 10:10 p.m. CST for formatting


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